Comorbid Symptoms and Disorders of Patients with Eating Disorders

Abstract

Patients with eating disorders including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa show various complications which make the disorders hard to treat. Anorexia nervosa patients have symptoms over all body due to severe malnutrition and dehydration : liver dysfunction, kidney failure, constipation, unhairing, and others. Particularly, hypoglycemia, arrhythmia caused by electrolyte imbalance, and refeeding syndrome which would occur in the initial stage of realimentation are life threatening. It is possible that effects of stagnation in body height growth and osteoporosis would remain even after weight restoration. Patients with self-induced vomiting often show dental caries, and electrolyte imbalance gets worse by binge-purge behavior (vomiting, laxative/diuretic misuse). Both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa frequently present depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Psychiatric comorbidities become an obstacle for treatment of eating disorders. Proper treatment of comorbidities is required in medical care of eating disorders.